When the time comes for high-schoolers to start thinking about college applications, the most stressful part of the process can be finding teachers, coaches, or other adults to sing their praises in letters of recommendation. But Black-ish star Yara Shahidi shouldn’t have to worry too much, since one of her letters was written by Michelle Obama. Yes, that Michelle Obama.

Shahidi has been an active public speaker outside her TV work, promoting women’s empowerment and encouraging young people to engage in politics. She’s appeared onstage before with the former First Lady, and revealed in an interview with W Magazine that Obama even provided Shahidi with an assist in her college applications.

“She is very amazing and such a supporter, which is something very surreal to say,” Shahidi told W, adding that wherever she ends up, she plans to double-major in sociology and African-American studies.

“I’ve gotten a lot of questions about if it’s scary to be on a public platform given the current administration and given that I’m a black Iranian,” Shahidi said, referencing the recent travel ban. Her father is Iranian, and she still has family that lives there. “I say that to say, companies that are still supporting individuality—that are still supporting self-empowerment—are so crucial.

“If you look at the history of art and fashion, it’s always been political,” Shahidi continued. “It’s always been pushing boundaries. Midterms will come up and there will be so many of us that can vote. It’s more important, too, to not just vote during midterms, but if you’re of voting age—or even if you’re not of voting age, like I am—there are ways to make changes and be involved, versus this feeling of helplessness because we don’t have any political sway.”

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